412 
same These placed 
among the ovaries of the plant, can 
scarcely be distinguished from them, 
the cocoons are neither pointed 
plant. cocoons, 
altho 
nor do they have the cleft which sepa- 
rates, even exteriorly, the capsule into 
two halves.” 
The cocoon, as has been mentioned by 
other writers, is usually fastened to a 
pedicel of one of the ovaries just beneath 
the ovary itself, being readily distin- 
guishable from the ovary by its trans- 
parency and form, and the end of the 
cocoon farthest from the ovary is cut off 
like a roundish lid by the beetle in 
emerging. 
I find no correct notice, however, of 
the little punctures dot the 
cocoon. These holes have an appear- 
ance as if pricked from within the 
cocoon with a fine needle, for their 
margin is somewhat elevated outside, as 
is the edge of a needle-hole in paper. 
The diameter of the holes themselves is 
0.05 mm. to 0.06 mm., and they are 
scattered about on the sides of the 
cocoon at quite irregular distances from 
each other. On the end of the cocoon 
toward the ovary of the plant, which is 
usually also the upper end of the cocoon, 
these punctures are very rarely to be 
found, but on the other of the 
cocoon they are as abundant as they are 
upon the sides. 
The function of these punctures is, 
probably, to admit air to the enclosed 
pupa, for the cocoon-material itself is 
very firm in texture and impervious both 
to water and to air. The protrusion of 
the margins of each puncture is appar- 
ently to prevent the entrance of water. 
The exterior surface of the cocoon is 
which 
end 
PST CHE: 
not, as is often the case with such strue- 
tures, repellent to water; it moistens 
readily, but these punctures mostly re- 
main open while it is moist. They fur- 
nish thus an inlet for air, an outlet for 
the moisture emanating from the pupa 
during its metamorphosis, and still they 
prevent the entrance of water in rainy 
weather; their rarity or absence from 
the upper end of the cocoon being appar- 
ently further protection from the force 
of raindrops. Quite possibly, too, the 
protruded margins of the punctures pre- 
vent the entrance of spores of fungi 
which would be injurious to the pupa. 
Westwood? describes the cocoon of 
C. scrophulariae as **formed with open 
meshes, like that of the Hyperae.” 
This statement by Westwood, probably 
made upon the authority of Schiffer? is 
criticized by Osborne,®? who writes, 
‘“These cocoons are prolate spheroids, 
lemon-shaped, but not pointed at the 
ends, and are sparsely covered in the 
middle region raised whitish 
‘goose-skin’ points, which appear to be 
produced by the subsequent filling up of 
small openings left in the original 
making of the cocoon. A cocoon seen 
in the unfinished state would present 
cribriform openings, but would not even 
then be like the network cocoon of 
Hypera.” Osborne writes further: 
‘The pupae at first are extremely deli- 
almost like transparent glass ; 
with 
eate, 
3 Westwood, J. O. An introduction to the modern 
1839, V- I, P- 343- 
4 Schiffer, J. C. Abhandlungen von insekten,... 
1779, V- 3; pl. 9. 
5 Osborne, J. A. Onthe cocoons formed by Hypera 
rumicis and its parasites and Cionus scrophulartae. 
(Entom. mo. mag., 1879, v. 16, p. 16-18.) 
classification of insects... 
